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MARY K ASHLEY

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God's New Mercies Each Morning

Feb 4, 2022
7 min

God's New Mercies Each Morning

I admittedly haven't considered God's mercy consistently in any deep way until the last year. It's a phrase we hear often in the Christian world.. 'His mercies are new each morning!' (Lamentations 3:23). Praise Him for that, but what does that actually mean? How does and should this profoundly impact the life of the believer? So what does the word mercy mean? To begin, the word mercy is defined in the dictionary as "compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender

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How Should Christians Respond to 'Cancel Culture'?

Feb 18, 2021
14 min

How Should Christians Respond to 'Cancel Culture'?

Whether you have heard the term 'cancel culture' or not, I would venture to guess you may have witnessed it both played out and its after-effects either from afar or personally. Oftentimes coined as 'call-out culture' as well, this concept manifests when either an individual or group of people withdraw support (cancel) public figures, companies, or individuals after they have subjectively done offensive or inappropriate things based upon the group that is judging. Performed p

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Morning Prayer of Devotion

Feb 4, 2021
3 min

Morning Prayer of Devotion

My Utmost Affections Upon You, O God I recognize Father that apart from abiding in your Son, I can do nothing (John 15:5). This is not a statement of self-deprecation but of understanding, by your Spirit, that I get my very identity from Christ. For it was you Father that elected and predestined me for adoption before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:5-6) It was you Jesus that gave me new life, salvation, and forgiveness through your death and resurrection - so that

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Because God First...

Jan 17, 2021
6 min

Because God First...

Looking around us, the realities that settle into our communities, cities, and nations, may seem to be far from a reality we would or could have dreamed up. The very finite nature of mankind has, in my opinion, been on full display for the past 11-12 months. The moment we perceived that the end was near, it proved just to be a new beginning to whatever tumultuous, difficult, or altogether unthinkable page turn from the book that was and is both 2020 and 2021. It can feel, for

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A Living and Eternal Hope

Dec 27, 2020
11 min

A Living and Eternal Hope

This year has been one, for many, a culmination of 361 days of hopelessness, despair, anxiety, or dismal vantage points. Much of these feelings can be attributed to real and credible hardship. If you weren't aware, we are all in the middle of a global pandemic; a pandemic we thought may have been over in a few weeks, a summer, or at the ringing of the new year. As if a pandemic wasn't enough, there has been unrest in an array of circles, relationships, and spheres. To utter t

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Are We Living Like Christ or Our President is King?

Nov 1, 2020
6 min

Are We Living Like Christ or Our President is King?

Over the last few weeks, I, probably like many of you, have felt inundated with all things elections. Whether it be from all of the news stations, radios, podcasts, blogs, or conversations within friend groups or around us, I have been swarmed by the weight of November 3rd. In addition, it seems almost inescapable to avoid seeing social media confrontations over various policies, appointees, and potential elected officials. It can become easy to get lost in the whirlwind of i

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Christ's Example of Humility

Oct 26, 2020
7 min

Christ's Example of Humility

As I was out on a walk yesterday talking with a friend, I was reminded of the stark contrast in the way in which we, as Christians, are to both live out and define the characteristics which exemplify our new life in Christ. Specifically, I've been meditating on the idea of humility. As we observe the ever-present contention and oftentimes prideful arrogance in the discussions and debates around us, the idea of humility seems to both be missing and convoluted in our subjective

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Salvation & Justification by Works or Grace?

Sep 17, 2020
12 min

Salvation & Justification by Works or Grace?

The idea of performing or working in order to earn your way into heaven is unfortunately not uncommon among those who profess to be Christians. Even more, although it may not be outwardly expressed verbatim as a works-based salvation or justification, the influences of such doctrine are jarringly rampant in sermons and books around us today. Even as the authors of the New Testament are abundantly clear that it is not of works, deeds, or accolades of our own that we are a new

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COVID - A Personal Reflection on Spiritual Disruption for Soli Deo Gloria

Sep 5, 2020
8 min

COVID - A Personal Reflection on Spiritual Disruption for Soli Deo Gloria

If you're anything like me, you can sometimes feel the urge to resist a season where the formalities and consistency you once knew seem to be far gone. The feeling of disruption in the uniformity of a routine and the perceived ability to expect what most days will look like, is one I've seen both myself and most others resist. Any season of life where control seems to be lacking can easily lead to stress, anxiety, and overthinking. It's not often we take a step back to realiz

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A Christian Apologetic View on Steven Furtick's Progressive/New Age Views of God and the Bible

Aug 15, 2020
13 min

A Christian Apologetic View on Steven Furtick's Progressive/New Age Views of God and the Bible

I hope the totality of my blogs have shown that the state of my heart is never to "call out" or "cancel" certain pastors, teachers, or authors. Whenever I write on the rampant false and incorrect teachings in the Church, it is never as much about one teacher themselves as it is about the destruction that they are proclaiming and writing. I don't write about one certain pastor because of any personal distaste for their characteristics or persona. They could be a joyful, funny

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"We Do Not Know What to Do, But Our Eyes Are On You."

Jul 14, 2020
6 min

"We Do Not Know What to Do, But Our Eyes Are On You."

How many times, as it relates to both critical and minor decisions have you found yourself unsure of what step you are to take next? Decisions of any size can at times feel helpless due to the innate human inability to know for certain what will come as the consequent. We are oftentimes left standing between the obvious choice of ice cream or no ice cream or the more serious election that lacks any level of discernability. In both the Christian and non-believing world, choice

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To God Be the Glory

Jun 26, 2020
9 min

To God Be the Glory

I'm not immune to the desire to be in control of situations in my life. Over the last few months, I've found myself in the predicament of being unemployed in a global pandemic during the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression. Mine and other's current situations would typically beg for a certain desire for perceived control and change. If I'm being honest, though, much of the change I desired early on in this current season was inherently for my good above all e

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Is God Racist?

Jun 18, 2020
12 min

Is God Racist?

If not, then why do we see so many Christians looking first to sinful men/women for the solution to this sin problem, before or instead of looking to God who is without sin? First, I want to be as crystal clear as possible - racism is a wretched, disgusting sin. I have seen it and heard it with my own eyes and ears being inflicted upon those in my life or in close proximity to me. Hearing or seeing racist actions makes my heart mourn for something I will never comprehend full

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Moralistic Therapeutic Deism in the Modern Church

Jun 11, 2020
14 min

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism in the Modern Church

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism - "God wants me to be happy, believe in myself, and just be nice." This doesn't sound so bad, right? "What is so wrong with this statement", you might be asking. The reason it doesn't sound bad is that unfortunately, this form of Christianity has seeped into churches all around us. Similar to the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel, moralistic therapeutic deism is a version of Christianity where our purpose is found within ourselves, our life is

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Job, His Friends, Suffering, and Support

Jun 4, 2020
13 min

Job, His Friends, Suffering, and Support

Learning a Biblical Approach to Seasons of Hardship We currently reside in time and space where suffering feels particularly rampant. Whether as a result of injustices, violent behavior of varying kinds, diseases and death, financial loss, or much of the like, it can suggest or feel as though this season is unique to us right now. In reality, suffering has been a component of life from the moment that sin entered into the world. Moreover, all of the adversity, discomfort, and

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"Never in My Life Have I Found Peace Like This"

May 28, 2020
8 min

"Never in My Life Have I Found Peace Like This"

Write My Story Series I remember growing up in an environment where God was spoken of by those close to me. Whether it be prayers and stories of angels with my mom or aunt, attending Lutheran church, or the mix of Lutheran classes and Catholic discussions, I had at least heard mentions of God and who He might be. I mean, there are even people in my family who are nuns. So, much of my upbringing was in more of an orderly and traditional setting with regards to church. I was ev

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My Story - You Who Once Were Far Away

May 22, 2020
10 min

My Story - You Who Once Were Far Away

"But now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." - Ephesians 2:13 I was just a young girl dealing with much of the insecurities many young girls battle with. If it wasn't a hatred for my nose, it was wishing I had a slimmer build like my sister. I grew up Catholic. I even wore the white gown and held the Bible for the priest as he read from scripture. I remember sitting in the confessional room, except this time there w

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Greatest Commandments - Part 2

May 1, 2020
8 min

Greatest Commandments - Part 2

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself We find ourselves pinned in the middle of Matthew 22:34-40 after my last post. Here we find a lawyer asking Jesus a question in order to test his knowledge on the greatest commandment. Jesus responded to him and others listening with with two commandments instead. The first being, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. The second commandment, he said, was like the first - like it, but not it: To love your neighbor as your

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The Biblical Heart of Repentance

Apr 18, 2020
10 min

The Biblical Heart of Repentance

I'm sure if any of you have grown up in a Christian community, you may have heard the words "repent" uttered from time to time. It may draw a visceral reaction from you. It also may draw no reaction because of the lack of utterance of it from some pulpits. Either way, I press on us to understand God's design for repentance and how ultimately it is a beautiful invitation into His heart. I'm not sure if you know this, but Jesus was a bit of a radical teacher in His day. He decl

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The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

Feb 23, 2020
8 min

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

After a recent deep-dive into the book of John, I like many others came to realize how many times John refers to himself as the one whom Jesus loved. Each time I read these words, I almost inherently rolled my eyes at John. I often asked the text, "why does John deem himself so important to signify Jesus's love for him as being worth mentioning over and over?" Furthermore, "why is John alone in the Bible as being the only one that uses this phrase to describe himself?" Upon f

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